Portuguese warship. Why is a Portuguese boat dangerous for a person? Why physalia are dangerous to humans

There are many poisonous animals and microorganisms in the world. Often they seem beautiful and you just want to touch them. One of these interesting creatures the globe is a physalia that is found in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. They can be found even in the English Channel. With its appearance, it is very reminiscent of jellyfish, which are found in abundance in the seas of our country.

Physalia - a jellyfish or not?

Physalia is a colonial hydroid from the siphonophore order. Outwardly, it is very similar to a jellyfish, but it is not. It belongs to another group of invertebrate organisms - siphonophores.

In total, there are about 160 species of this order in the world, which live mainly in tropical waters. jellyfish physalia it is one of the species that are dangerous to humans and can even lead to death.

Physalia - danger, poison

The usual size of the physalia is up to about 35 centimeters, while the stinging tentacles, which contain stinging cells, can reach incredible sizes - up to 50 meters. It is these cells that are the most dangerous in the colony. Their venom is similar in composition to cobra venom and can cause fever, shock, and difficulty breathing in humans.

A person exposed to poison in water can drown from pain shock or loss of consciousness. They are dangerous because they move in large colonies that can easily devastate everything in their path.

Physalia: description of the Portuguese boat

Physalia is named after Dr. Marie Physalix, who first discovered and described it. Physalia ( portuguese boat) consists of two sections: siphosome and pneumatophore.

Pneumatophore - a bladder filled with atmospheric air, which allows the body to stay on the surface. If necessary, excess air is removed and the poisonous physalia is immersed in water. Groups of zooids depart from the pneumatophore, which are divided into 3 types:

Their main diet consists of small fish, larvae and squid. Physalia itself makes up the diet of some of the sea turtles and mollusks.
The life span of an individual is several months. breeds jellyfish physalia asexually. Physalia moves with the help of wind and current. However, with the help of the siphosome, it serves as a rudder and is able to regulate the direction of the colony and move even against the wind.

Poisonous Physalia in Phuket

They are found predominantly large groups numbering in the thousands. The pneumatophore of the jellyfish resembles a small sail, for which the name Portuguese boat is often found. This name was given by sailors in the 18th century.
Physalia is found in tropical seas and is often found in the vicinity of Phuket and neighboring beaches, where they are brought by the monsoons blowing from May to October in those parts. At this time, it is more dangerous than the garbage dumped into the sea, which then forms in.

In September-October 2016, 4 beaches were even closed in Phuket for 2 weeks. This was due to the fact that they were found in in large numbers- more than 400 individuals. Fortunately, there were no human casualties.
The photo shows the habitat of physalia.

Physalia poison: how to protect yourself

In case of contact with physalia, it is recommended to see a doctor. There is a lot of conflicting advice regarding first aid for a burn. It could be flushing sea water, vinegar, hot water followed by ice application.

If physalia were found on the surrounding beaches, it is recommended to refrain from swimming during this period. Often they are thrown ashore, so you should carefully walk along the beaches so as not to get on one of them. Even separately lying tentacles, which also cause burns, are dangerous.

A special and very peculiar group of the class Hydroids is formed by the subclass Siphonophores. This word refers to free-swimming colonial coelenterates living in warm seas.
The siphonophore colony is neither a polyp nor a medusa. This is a community of many individuals, some of which resemble polyps, others - jellyfish. Each individual of the colony has its own purpose and structure corresponding to it. All individuals are located on a single trunk of the colony and are interconnected by a single digestive cavity.
The most famous among the siphonophores is undoubtedly the Portuguese man-of-war siphonophore.
Sometimes she is called Latin name physalia (Physalia). The size of the floating colony of physalia is very large. The length of the trunk sometimes exceeds 1 m, and the longest tentacles grow to a length of 10 meters or more.
Main Feature physalium is that the floating colony is not completely submerged in water. A brightly colored gas bubble always rises above the water, keeping the whole organism afloat. Painted in bluish or reddish tones, this gas bubble (in Greek "pneumatophore") also plays the role of a sail, carrying the siphonophore following the sea winds. The gas in the bladder is similar in composition to air and is secreted by special glandular cells.
The “sail” of the Portuguese boat performs its work no worse than a real sail. On the surface of the pneumatophore there is a special crest, which in its shape resembles the Latin letter S. Thanks to this crest, the Portuguese boat is not only driven by the wind across the sea, but constantly turns around at an angle to the wind. In practice, this leads to the fact that, after swimming for some time in one direction, the siphonophores suddenly make a coordinated turn and swim in another, sometimes even in the opposite direction.
Such coordinated maneuvers, simultaneously performed by a large number of siphonophores, resemble the friendly navigation of a flotilla of ships. Hence the name "boat". As for the adjective "Portuguese", the siphonophores owe it to the bright color of the pneumatophores. It was these bright multi-colored sails that were on the masts of the ships of the medieval mistress of the seas - Portugal.
Observations of physalia showed that in the same group of this species there are two forms that differ in the shape of the crest. Driven by the wind, some of the physalia gradually turn to the right, while others turn to the left. They are called so - right and left physalia.
Each siphonophore colony is a single and very complex organism. Below the pneumatophore on the trunk of the colony, the remaining individuals are located in a certain order.
The so-called swimming bells follow first. These are medusoid individuals, which, pushing water out of the bells, carry out the active movement of the colony. True, the Portuguese ship does not have swimming bells, and they are not needed, since the colonies move perfectly with the help of wind or sea currents.
Below the medusoids, all siphonophores have lactating polyps. These individuals are able to swallow and digest food. Since the entire colony is united by a common digestive cavity, all the food that the lactating polyps swallow is immediately distributed among all individuals.
Loops are placed next to the nursing polyps. This is the name of siphonophore individuals, which have the appearance of a long (sometimes up to 20 m), often even branched tentacles carrying stinging cells. Arkanchiki are designed to protect the colony, as well as to catch prey. Finally, there are individuals in which the germ cells of the siphonophore develop.
Although the venom of the burning cells of the physalia is dangerous for many species of fish, some of them use the tentacles of the Portuguese man-of-war for their own protection. Shepherd fish, common in all oceans, spends almost all the time near the physalia or between their tentacles until they reach adulthood. Somehow, these small fish manage to avoid the action of stinging cells, and they react poorly to physalium poison.
Although the Portuguese boats are very beautiful, it is not recommended to pick them up. The burn from stinging cells is very sensitive to humans. There are several cases when physalia became the cause of death of people. Even individuals thrown ashore continue to be dangerous. Those who have been attacked by the physalis have described the action of the burning cells as similar to an electric shock.
sailboat

Previously, zoologists ranked the sailboat as a siphonophore, because these animals lead a similar lifestyle. However, in the future, scientists decided that these single floating organisms are separate detachment class Hydroid.
Sailboats are animals of tropical and subtropical seas. They live only in those seas and oceans, the water temperature of which does not fall below 15 ° C.
Like the Portuguese boat, the sailboat is passively carried by winds and currents. Its strongly flattened body resembles an oval, the long axis of which in adults reaches 10–12 cm. On the upper side of the body there is an elegantly shaped vertical plate - the "sail". Like the Portuguese boat, the “sail” is somewhat curved, and therefore the sailboat does not sail straight under the influence of the wind, but turns from time to time.
The upper side of the body of the sailboat is covered with a chitinous membrane and bears a gas bubble - a pneumatophore, which supports the animal on the surface of the water. On the lower surface, submerged in water, there is a mouth opening and many tentacles surrounding it.
Tentacles help sailboats find and catch prey. These coelenterates feed on the larvae of various animals, small crustaceans, fish fry and almost all organisms that make up marine plankton.
Sailboats often form huge aggregations. Sometimes in some place in the ocean you can swim several kilometers, constantly observing sailboats to the right and left of the sides. When all this mass is moved by the wind, there is a feeling that it is floating huge flock animals.
Unlike jellyfish, sailboats do not go deep before a storm approaches. They fearlessly rush along the raging waves, and if the water turns them over, they immediately take the correct position again.
Amazing Feature The biology of sailboats is their cohabitation with many marine organisms. Floating on the surface of the water like small rafts, defenseless sailboats are used by other animals for rest, resettlement, protection from enemies, reproduction and other purposes.
The most terrible roommate for a sailboat is the predatory snail Yantina. Having found a sailboat, she settles on the underside of his body and gradually eats him almost entirely. Only a chitinous skeleton remains of the sailboat. And the predator, meanwhile, is looking for a new victim, since sailboats live in large clusters. In order not to drown during the search, the snail builds its own raft from the foam it secretes.
In addition to yantina, other predatory mollusks, such as nudibranch mollusks eolis and glaucus, are not averse to profiting from a sailboat.
The remains of the sailboat still float on the surface of the water for some time and are populated by new "tenants": hydroid polyps, small sessile crustaceans, bryozoans, marine worms, shrimps. Crustaceans also sometimes try to eat sailboats.
As on rafts, small crabs from the genus Planes travel on sailboats. Aquatic predators simply do not see such passengers from the water column. When crabs need food, they move to the underside of the body of sailboats and try to hunt or simply take food away from the owner.
A floating sailboat can serve as a convenient place for some fish to lay eggs. One of the flying fish, for example, places its eggs on the underside of the body of sailfish.

Many at least once in their lives, but faced with a jellyfish. This meeting turned out to be not pleasant for everyone, since some species sting on contact with the skin, that is, they leave burns, and often very painful. Medusa "Portuguese boat", among other things, is also famous for this.

A little about jellyfish

Maybe, most of people have come across these organisms in one way or another. They are completely unusual and bewitching in the water, but on land they no longer look so impressive. We are talking about jellyfish - the stage of development of some organisms. They may look very different, but they also have something in common, so that even those who see them for the first time can recognize them quite easily: they are often almost transparent and resemble a dome or parachute in shape.

There is a huge variety of jellyfish living in different parts planets, so that they can be encountered both on southern resort, as well as in northern latitudes. Usually most of them are not too dangerous, although such a neighborhood can hardly be called pleasant when you want to swim in the warm sea. There are also several species traditionally classified as jellyfish, which are extremely dangerous to humans. "Portuguese boat" is one of the most serious of them. Along with its beautiful and unusual shape, it is terribly poisonous. What is this jellyfish?

"Portuguese boat" - where does this name come from?

She is really very beautiful. swim bladder unusual shape, iridescent in the light, purple above and fading to blue below, long strands of tentacles. From the water, it may not be visible at all to those who are focused on something else. And you can take it for a rubber hat or soap bubble especially when you see it for the first time.

But do not be deceived by the beauty that the "Portuguese boat" demonstrates - this jellyfish is in second place in terms of danger to humans. But where does such an unusual name come from? Physalia - that is what this creature is scientifically called - outwardly resembles the sails of a Portuguese military ship, bright and noticeable.

Description and features

Jellyfish "Portuguese boat", a photo or drawing of which almost everyone has probably seen in a textbook on a school subject " The world", - this, strictly speaking, is not one creature, but a whole colony belonging to the siphonophore order.

A transparent bubble up to 30 centimeters in size, visible above the water, is filled with gas and serves to keep the creature on the surface of the water, and also to some extent performs the function of a rudder. Below it, a siphosome is asymmetrically located - bundles of processes that perform certain functions to ensure the life of the colony. The "Portuguese boat" moves due to the current and the wind, without taking any independent actions for this due to the lack of relevant organs.

This creature has long tentacles that, when extended, can reach 50 meters. And at the same time, they are poisonous, and can be extremely dangerous for some categories of people, even deaths have been recorded.

Physalia mainly feeds on zooplankton and small fish. They, in turn, are eaten by some and shellfish. Well, people should just avoid them.

habitats

You want to see such beauty with your own eyes, and not in the picture, so it is not surprising that so many people want to see the "Portuguese boat" for themselves. Where does this amazing creature live?

As a rule, physalia prefers warm seas and latitudes, meeting in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas and off the coast of Australia and Japan. However, the currents often throw them into colder places, and when they are observed near the popular beaches of England, France, Florida, etc., all the media announce the alarm, and all the services prepare to treat the burns of careless and inattentive swimmers.

Danger

As many people know, you should be especially careful not with the dome, but with the tentacles, where the stinging cells are located. "Portuguese boat" is no exception, especially since its poison is quite strong. Feels like tactile contact with the siphosome resembles a blow with a whip or a discharge of electricity - this is a very strong and sharp pain. Burn marks appear instantly, which can become inflamed in the future.

Children, allergy sufferers, people with chronic diseases, etc. should be especially careful. Yes, and the rest will not hurt to look both ways, swimming in the warm sea, and sail away in a timely manner, seeing something similar to a "Portuguese boat". This is really the case when it is better to overdo it. By the way, it is worth remembering that even a physalia thrown onto land remains dangerous for some time, so you should not approach it at all, much less touch it.

Consequences of the meeting

Apart from the pain and burning of the skin that has come into contact with the physalia, the general state of health also rarely remains good: the victim may suffer from chills and nausea, pain in the heart may be felt, sometimes even spasms and convulsions are observed. The discomfort can last for several days, after which it will pass. In some difficult cases, lesions of the central nervous system and spasms of the respiratory system are observed, hematopoiesis suffers.

There are also known cases of deaths after meeting with physalia, but most of them accounted for weakened organisms. Do not neglect the basic safety rules, because it is not so difficult. And, of course, you should carefully monitor the children if there is reason to believe that there is a cluster of jellyfish "Portuguese man-of-war" nearby in the sea. A photo of these creatures, of course, will retain the impression of their beauty for a long time, but the scars left on the skin for a lifetime are unlikely to evoke pleasant memories.

First aid and next steps

First of all, after contact has occurred, you need to get out of the water so as not to simply drown. In no case should you try to rub the mucus or wash it off fresh water- this activates the stinging cells, so that these actions will cause even more terrible pain to the victim. The burning sensation usually subsides within a few minutes, but the discomfort may persist for several days.

It is believed that the surest way to neutralize the poison for which the Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish is famous is three percent vinegar, which must be moistened with the skin. However, there is an opposite point of view, according to which the use of this tool is categorically not recommended. If the poison gets into the eyes or the pain does not go away for a long time, and there are doubts about a successful outcome, it is best to immediately contact local doctors.

Burn treatment

Unlike most other jellyfish, a meeting with a physalia is unlikely to ever be erased from the memory of the victim. What to do after first aid depends on how the victim is feeling when the "Portuguese boat" is encountered. Burns are often inflamed and irritated salty water, so if an unpleasant meeting at sea occurred immediately after arrival, it can ruin your vacation. A few days, perhaps, there will be no time for entertainment at all due to unsuitable health for this, but then everything will only get better. Burn marks can last a lifetime, although over time they will fade and become less noticeable. To some extent, it can even be considered an adventure.

Poisonous physalia. Photo: Shutterstock.com

In Thailand, on the island of Phuket, three popular beaches were closed for swimming - Nai Thon, Nai Yang and Layan. The reason for the emergency measure was the invasion of poisonous physalia, the bite of which is dangerous for humans.

Physalia, or, as it is also called, the Portuguese boat - close relative jellyfish, but it's not a real jellyfish. Physalia belong to very primitive invertebrate organisms - siphonophores. In fact, this is a floating colony, consisting of many polyps that perform a specific role. Some get food, others process it, others are responsible for reproduction, and fourth for protection. All polyps together are a whole organism.

The most common type of physalia is the Portuguese man-of-war. It got its name because of its bright colors and shape, reminiscent of the sail of a medieval Portuguese ship. From the swim bladder, filled with gas, short digestive organs, gastrozoids, hang down. Behind them are spirally...

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An amazingly beautiful creation of nature - the Portuguese boat (physalia) - is as dangerous as it is attractive. In order not to get burned, it is better to admire them from a distance.

And, one might say, there is something to admire: above the surface of the water, the “sail” gently silvers and shimmers with blue, purple and purple, similar to those that adorned medieval ships. Its top, crest, is bright red, and the lower part, from which long, sometimes up to 30 meters, trapping tentacles extend, is blue.

Portuguese boat - jellyfish or not?

It must be said that, although this creature is a close relative of jellyfish, it still does not apply to those. The Portuguese man-of-war is a siphonophore, a primitive invertebrate organism. It is a colony of four types of polyps coexisting together. Each of them performs the function assigned to it.

Thanks to the first polyp - a gas bubble, the beauty of which we admire, the Portuguese boat keeps afloat and can ...

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The Portuguese boat got its name from the bright multi-colored swim bladder, reminiscent of the sail of a medieval Portuguese ship. It is difficult to see it, and there is no desire to look closely at the water, especially if you swim in a completely peaceful area of \u200b\u200bthe hotel beach. Although it is quite bright, even somewhat puffy: the lower part of the bubble is blue, the top is a bright red crest, and it all shimmers with purple colors, and its swim bladder, about 30 centimeters in size, looks like a rubber cap.

In any case, if you feel sharp pain, as from a whip or electric shock, you can safely scream. Firstly, from surprise, and secondly, you may urgently need help. The poison of the physalia is very close in its action to the poison of the cobra. The introduction of even a small dose under the skin of laboratory animals ended tragically for them. If you are allergic, then help should be immediate, if not, then you still need to be prepared for some unpleasant ...

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Creatures with such a romantic name are close relatives of jellyfish, in scientific world officially referred to as "physalia siphonophora". If only a few are poisonous among jellyfish, then all physalia are poisonous, without exception.

For humans, physalia poison is not fatal, but the consequences can be extremely unpleasant. Swelling, numbness, burning, and even short-term paralysis if the poisonous tentacle touches the spine. It's very dangerous in the water. But physalia are no less dangerous on land. During a storm, the sea throws hundreds of Portuguese ships ashore, thin tentacles dry up instantly and are carried by the wind. Physalium poison is very persistent and does not lose its properties either when dried or frozen. If a dried tentacle comes into contact with the skin, irritation or an allergic reaction is provided. That is why swimming or visiting the beach is prohibited in the resort areas if floating physalia were seen nearby.

Outwardly, Portuguese boats are very beautiful. They look like a balloon with a comb floating in the water, inflated ...

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Portuguese warship, physalia, bluebottle jellyfish - most famous titles this jellyfish. Dwells in warm waters(Florida, Cuba, Mediterranean Sea, Australia, Japan). Often the Gulf Stream brings them to the shores of England and France. When they accumulate off the coast of England and France or, for example, near the beaches of Florida, television, radio and the press warn the population of the danger.

Jellyfish are poisonous even when washed ashore. The shoots reach a length of up to 10 meters (which is like a thread in the sand).
The "Portuguese boat" got its name from the multi-colored swim bladder, which is shaped like the sail of a medieval Portuguese sailing ship. The lower part of the bubble is blue, and the upper one is bright red, while the bubble constantly shimmers with purple colors. The bell of this jellyfish shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow from blue to purple, similar to a rubber cap.

The beauty,...

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What would you think if, swimming in the sea, you saw a very strange “composition” consisting of processes of incomprehensible length and a very bright body, resembling a bubble on the surface of the water. It’s hard to guess right away what kind of miracle is in front of you - maybe it’s a flower, or maybe such an unusual fish?

It doesn’t look like a fish, and it doesn’t look like an animal either, but you need to carefully approach the creature you are looking for, and it’s better to avoid contact with it altogether. Because a bright and beautiful bubble is just a trick and a trap of the Portuguese boat - the most dangerous poisonous creature on the planet ...

Portuguese boat. Jellyfish or invertebrate? Photos and instructions for survival.

Appearance and dimensions

What is a Portuguese boat and why does it take special pleasure to poison its victims - fish and others marine life? Many people think that these are the most dangerous jellyfish, but this is not entirely true. Outwardly resembling a jellyfish, the Portuguese boat differs from it and is considered ...

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PHYSALIA'S LIFESTYLE

Physalia (see photo) often swim in warm seas numerous groups, often numbering several thousand jellyfish. The bubble of the jellyfish body, transparent and shining in the sun, rises about 15 cm above the water and looks like a small sail. It is surprising that the jellyfish is able to move even against the wind, without turning off the chosen path. The physalia jellyfish is usually found close to the coast, but in the warm season it willingly moves with the flow in the direction of the earth's poles. Powerful winds blowing from the sea towards the coast can throw this jellyfish onto land.

BREEDING OF THE PORTUGUESE BOAT

It is not known for certain how the Physalia jellyfish reproduces. All that scientists have found out is that physalia reproduces asexually and there are polyps in the colonies that are responsible for reproduction. It is they who establish new colonies.

Since jellyfish have the ability to reproduce without interruption, ...

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A little about jellyfish

Probably most of the people one way or another faced with these organisms. They are completely unusual and bewitching in the water, but on land they no longer look so impressive. We are talking about jellyfish - the stage of development of some organisms. They may look very different, but they also have something in common, so that even those who see them for the first time can recognize them quite easily: they are often almost transparent and resemble a dome or parachute in shape.

There is a huge variety of jellyfish living in different parts of the planet, so you can encounter them both in the southern resort and in the northern latitudes. Usually most of them are not too dangerous, although such proximity to ...

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The Portuguese boat (lat. Physalia physalis) is a species of colonial hydroid from the siphonophore order, the colony of which consists of polypoid and medusoid individuals.

This intestinal creature is often called a jellyfish, but the Portuguese boat is not a jellyfish, but a siphonophore - a colony of intestinal animals. The composition of such a colony includes polypoid and medusoid individuals living as a single harmonious organism. Portuguese boats are very common marine animals - they can be found in almost all warm-water areas of the oceans and seas - from latitudes Japanese islands to Australia and New Zealand. Sometimes the winds drive such arrays of these coelenterates to the shore that it seems that coastal waters covered with colored jelly.

The dome of the Portuguese ships is very beautiful, and usually shimmers with blue-lilac colors with purple-red tints. Its length along the "body" can reach 20-25 cm, but the usual ...

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Initially, Portuguese boats could only be found in the waters of the Gulf Stream, as well as in the tropics of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. But since 1989, this flotilla has also drifted into the Mediterranean. Scientists believe that the main reasons for their resettlement were global warming and the disappearance of food due to large volumes of fish catch.

Portuguese boat plows the ocean

tentacles

The Portuguese boat fully justifies its name, which it received back in the 15th century in honor of the flotilla of Henry the Navigator. Its upper part, which is a large transparent bubble 15-20 cm long, is very similar to the stern of a ship. Moves...

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And finally, about poisonous hydroids - physalia, which received the name "Portuguese boat" for their appearance. This animal belongs to the lower intestinal cavities, which have a highly developed poisonous apparatus for attack and defense. They live in the tropical regions of the Pacific Ocean. Animals easily stay in the water due to the gas-filled swim bladder, which serves as a hydrostatic apparatus for the physalia.

Physalia (Physalia physalis) - poisonous jellyfish living in tropical waters

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Physalia

» Dangerous animals » Physalia

Physalia (Latin name Physalia) is a representative of the Physalidae family, the Pneumatophoridae group, the siphonophore order. In nature, physalia live in an extensive colony, in which, along with 100-250 physalia, many polyps also live. Found in large numbers in the open sea and floating on the surface of the water, they are a very beautiful sight.

signs

The most common form of physalia is the shape of a large bladder. Its diameter can reach 30 centimeters in length. The bubble is filled with nitrogen and carbon dioxide with minimal oxygen content. In the event of a storm, this helps the physalia quickly get rid of the contents of the bubble and go to the bottom.

The upper part of the bubble is decorated with a comb. The crest allows the physalia to easily maneuver underwater. By appearance it resembles the sail of a medieval Portuguese ship. Hence its second name "Portuguese warship" was formed.

In nature, physalia is very ...

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In calm windless weather sea water so clear that it can be seen to a great depth. At such a time, one can see how some strange, almost transparent creatures flicker in its thickness, like shadows. In appearance, they resemble a bell or an umbrella. These are jellyfish that got their scary name not by chance.

AT ancient Greek mythology Medusa (snake-haired maiden) was named one of the Gorgon sisters, winged monsters capable of turning living creatures into stone with their eyes. Medusa had snakes on her head instead of hair.

People gave such a terrible name to the fragile inhabitants of the depths, not only because tentacles fluttering along the edges of their bodies, resembling curving reptiles, but also because with their poison they can inflict a defeat on a person, sometimes leading to death.

The poisonous apparatus in all representatives of the intestinal cavity consists of stinging capsules - nematocysts, located mainly on their tentacles in the outer layer. From the outer surface of the stinging...

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The Portuguese boat is not just a beautiful creation of nature. This is a real killer jellyfish that floats on the surface of the water with a transparent bubble filled with gas.

The Portuguese boat consists of two parts: a large transparent bubble filled with gas in the upper part of the body and tentacles, the length of which can reach 30 m. The poison is contained in the stinging cells of the tentacles. The bubble is usually colored blue, purple or lilac.

Spanish tourism is under threat due to the entry into the Mediterranean Sea of the dangerous coelenterates - the poisonous Portuguese boat Physalia physalis. In common parlance, it is called the "killer jellyfish", although it is more correct to attribute it to the siphonophores, a detachment of pelagic cnidarians from the hydroid class.

"Portuguese boat" (lat. Physalia physalis) (English Portuguese man-on-war or Caravela portuguesa)

Initially, Portuguese boats could only be found in the waters ...

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An amazingly beautiful creation of nature - the Portuguese boat (physalia) - is as dangerous as it is attractive.

Portuguese boat (lat. Physalia physalis) belong to very primitive, but very interesting invertebrate organisms - siphonophores, close relatives of jellyfish familiar to all of us. This is perhaps one of the most numerous inhabitants of the ocean surface.

In some physalia, the swim bladder protrudes above the surface of the water, acting as a sail. From the hydrostatic apparatus (pneumatophore), a special trunk goes down, to which the remaining individuals of the colony are attached, their number can reach several hundred. In short, physalia are not a separate organism. Physalia belong to the colonial forms. Numerous tentacles of physalia are equipped with a huge number of stinging cells containing a poisonous secret. The tentacles are almost colorless, they merge with sea water and are difficult to distinguish for swimmers.
The length of the animal (pneumatophore) is about 20 - 30 centimeters. Dactylozoids reach 50 meters in size, but very often they are in a "folded" state.

It is a colony of four types of polyps coexisting together. Each of them performs the function assigned to it.
Thanks to the first polyp - the gas bubble, the beauty of which we admire, the Portuguese boat keeps afloat and can drift in the waters of the ocean. Another polyps, dactylozoids, are trapping tentacles, along the entire vast length of which there are stinging cells that inject poison into prey. Small fish, fry, crustaceans die from it immediately, while larger ones experience paralysis. Thanks to the trapping tentacles, the caught prey is dragged to the third type of polyps - gastrozoids, which digest food by breaking down proteins, carbohydrates and fats. And the fourth type - gonozoids - perform the function of reproduction.

The Portuguese boat can only be moved by the current or the wind. In the waters of the Pacific, Atlantic or Indian Oceans you can meet the whole fleet. But sometimes they "deflate" their bubbles and dive into the water to avoid danger. And they have someone to fear: despite the poisonousness, the boats serve as prey for some species of animals. For example, sea turtles(loggerhead, bighead turtle), sunfish or mollusks (nudibranch, yantina) can significantly thin out the ranks of "sailboats". But the shepherd fish lives among long tentacles physalia as a freeloader. The poison does not affect this fish, but it reliably protects against numerous enemies, and the shepherd boy feeds on the remnants of the patron's prey and the dead tips of dactylozoids.

On the surface of the water, this animal is very beautiful. The upper part of it is brightly colored and vaguely resembles the colors of the old Portuguese sailboats, hence the name of this animal. If you look closely at the physalia, which rises about 30 cm in length above the sea surface, you can see how it shimmers with blue, violet and purple colors due to the reflection of sunlight from its faces.

It is not known for certain how physalia reproduces. All that scientists have found out is that physalia reproduces asexually and there are polyps in the colonies that are responsible for reproduction. It is they who establish new colonies.
Since jellyfish have the ability to reproduce without interruption, a huge number of jellyfish are born in the seas and oceans. It is assumed that this jellyfish is able to reproduce in another way - it is believed that the Physalia jellyfish, a Portuguese warship, when dying, throws whole bunches of jellyfish organisms into the ocean, in which reproductive products are formed that serve to create new jellyfish.

It is already known that the Portuguese boat belongs to the stinging animals, which means it has in its arsenal formidable weapon- stinging cells. These cells in physalia are filled with poison that affects not only animals, but also humans. The poisonous substance that fills the stinging cells has a paralytic effect, causing death in the inhabitants of the oceans, who were not lucky enough to become a victim of physalia. In humans, the poison of the Portuguese man-of-war causes burns. It is believed that it is impossible to wash the burn with fresh water, because there may still be whole stinging cells on the skin, which are quickly destroyed by such water, and it turns out that the poison again enters the skin.

INTERESTING INFO ABOUT THE PORTUGUESE BOAT...

Physalia - is a joint colony of modified jellyfish and polyps, so closely related to each other that they show all the features of a holistic organism.
- "Portuguese ship" this jellyfish was nicknamed by the sailors of the XVIII century, who talked about the jellyfish, which swims like a medieval Portuguese warship.
- The most poisonous variety physalia lives in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, its poison is a mortal danger to humans.
- By the way, even when dried, the tentacles of the Portuguese boat remain very dangerous for humans.
- A burn by a Portuguese boat is comparable in toxicity to a bite poisonous snake. But only in rare cases, burns of physalia lead to death.